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Bandera County, Texas
Bandera County, formed in 1856 from Bexar and Uvalde counties, is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population is 17,645. Its county seat is Bandera . Bandera is named for the Spanish word for flag. (See List of Texas county name etymologies.) Bandera County is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Timeline *8000 b.c. Early native American inhabitants include Comanche and Lipan Apache. *1841-1843 (exact date uncertain) – Battle of Bandera Pass, John Coffee Hays and a troup of Texas Rangers defeat a large party of Comanches at Bandera Pass. *1853 John James and Charles S. DeMontel survey and plat the town of Bandera. A. M. Milstead, Thomas Odem, P. D. Saner, and their families camp along the river and begin making cypress shingles. James, Montel and Company build a horse-powered sawmill and open a store. *1855 Sixteen Polish families arrive in Bandera to work in James and DeMontel's sawmill. August Klappenbach opens the first store and post office. *1856 The legislature marks off Bandera County from portions of Bexar County, and the county is formally organized. *1860 Population 399, including 12 slaves. *1880 Sheep and Angora goats become more profitable for Bandera than farming. *1920 Cora and Ed Buck began taking boarders at their ranch, beginning the tourist trade in Bandera. *1933 Frontier Times Museum opens to the public. *1979 Lost Maples State Natural Area opens to the public. *1982 Eight-two percent of the land in the county is in farms and ranches. *1984 Hill Country State Natural Area opens to the public. *2000 The Nature Conservancy purchases of Love Creek Ranch from Baxter and Carol Adams, creating the Love Creek Preserve. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.73%) is water. Major highways * State Highway 16 * State Highway 46 * State Highway 173 * Ranch to Market Road 337 * Farm to Market Road 1077 * Ranch to Market Road 2828 * Farm to Market Road 3240 Adjacent counties *Kerr County (north) *Kendall County (northeast) *Bexar County (southeast) *Medina County (south) *Uvalde County (southwest) *Real County (west) Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 17,645 people, 7,010 households, and 5,061 families residing in the county. The population density was 22 people per square mile (9/km²). There were 9,503 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.02% White, 0.33% Black or African American, 0.90% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 2.55% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races. 13.51% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 7,010 households out of which 29.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.80% were married couples living together, 7.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.80% were non-families. 23.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.92. In the county, the population was spread out with 24.70% under the age of 18, 5.80% from 18 to 24, 25.70% from 25 to 44, 27.60% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 99.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.30 males. The median income for a household in the county was $39,013, and the median income for a family was $45,906. Males had a median income of $31,733 versus $24,451 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,635. About 7.70% of families and 10.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.20% of those under age 18 and 9.40% of those age 65 or over. Communities Cities *Bandera (957) Census-designated places *Lakehills (4,668) *Medina (2,960) Unincorporated areas *Bandera Falls *Pipe Creek (66) *Tarpley *Vanderpool (22) Education The following school districts serve Bandera County: * Bandera Independent School District * Medina Independent School District (partial) * Northside Independent School District (partial) * Utopia Independent School District (partial) See also *National Register of Historic Places listings in Bandera County, Texas References External links *Bandera County government website *Bandera County Chamber of Commerce *Bandera County Convention and Visitor Bureau *[http://texashistory.unt.edu/permalink/meta-pth-27720:1 Pioneer history of Bandera County: seventy-five years of intrepid history], published 1922, hosted by The Portal to Texas History *[http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/BB/hcb2.html Bandera County in Handbook of Texas] at the University of Texas Category:Counties of Texas Category:Bandera County, Texas Category:Established in 1856 Category:San Antonio metropolitan area